I love visiting London but my visits are normally very structured and we literally arrive at, visit our planned destination and leave again.
I have wanted to do a sightseeing tour of London for a while, so when City Cruises invited us to do a river cruise from The Embankment up to the Tower of London I jumped at the chance.
You can see some of the best views in London from the River Thames including Big Ben, The London Eye, Tower Bridge, The Tower Of London. and Greenwich.
The City Cruise boats are perfect for sightseeing with floor to window windows on the lower deck and plenty of bench like seating on the top deck, offering great views of the city.
It is the crew that make City Cruises fun though. They offer a pre-recorded voice tour, but you get to opt for them to talk you through the journey. We had two different guides on our trips and both were fantastically knowledgable and although pointed mostly the same sights, they each had their own stories which were a lot of fun. My favourite was the story of the Lions who keep watch along the Thames in Central London, holding mooring rings in their mouths. They play a role as a flood warning system for superstitious Londoners, keen to keep an eye on water levels in the Thames.
“When the lions drink, London will sink”
“When it’s up to their manes, we’ll go down the drains”
“When the water is sucked, you can be sure we’re all … in trouble”
There was also lots of interesting information about the tides and tips on visiting local attractions, including a free alternative to the Shard – Sky Garden, London which we have booked to see in Half Term.
Cruises along the Thames go every 30 minutes from piers at Westminster, London Eye, Bankside, Tower and Greenwich and you can hop on and off at your leisure. We decided to explore the Tower of London on our visit.
The cruise can get very busy and on our return journey was jam-packed, however we did manage to get seats upstairs by splitting up, however it is worth bearing that in mind if you are travelling with small children at peak times.
City Cruise trips start at £10 per person, with children travelling free if you purchase a family ticket.
Disclaimer: We received a Family Ticket for City Cruises for the purpose of a review. All opinions are our own.
We did this when we were down there in April and I would definitely recommend it. Ours came as part of the open bus top tour so you could do both on the same ticket. It’s a great way to see the city, I’m planning another trip down there for the same time next year! xx
I love the river tours, but how did you get a person doing the talk? We didn’t get a choice, it just came through the speakers. Disappointing because as kids, the ones with the people speaking were so much more fun.
I would love to do this, what a great way to see some of the sights of London x
I’ve never been on a city cruise, like you every time we’re in London we also have like a set itinerary to tick off, usually it involves seeing a musical or visiting a museum. Would love to do this too.
The city cruise looks good for people of all ages which makes it a great family attraction. A great way to see the sights!
I did a rib ride on the Thames and it’s amazing what a different perspective you get from the water. I’d like to do a tour where I can take things in at a slower pace – and not feel sick like I did on the speedboat!
I’ve always wanted to try one of these cruises. I love the lion story too! I’ll definitely try one of these next time i’m in the city. x
We loved the river cruise we went on when the boys were little. it gives you a great view on the city and such a different one
I love London, my husband is going there next week actually (jealous much!) We have said we will need to save up so we can take the kids to London for a long weekend next year, it will be their first visit.
We went to London in the summer and were planning to go on one of the cruises but ran out of time! Will have to go back, looks great
We love London – we have never done a river cruise, it looks awesome. Kaz x
I love London too but I’ve never done a river cruise – I’d definitely like to after reading this though x
Even though I live in London, City Cruise is one of my favourite ways to spend a summer afternoon.
That sounds like a fabulous way to see the city. I worked in London for years, and would always be jealous of those taking a day trip on the Thames as I walked over Waterloo Bridge! 😀
It’s so crazy I live in London, but I never been in a city cruise. It seems so fun. x
City Cruise sounds like a great way to see the sights of the city! We’d love to go on an adventure like that!
Oh good to read about this, it is something we have considered doing before but not yet got round to. Mich x
A very different view of London! I’ll have to check this out